


Domini Flores

by VaultOfMelkurMistress



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Jo knows these two need to hug it out, M/M, as if the Master would ever really kill Jo, tea and dating advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaultOfMelkurMistress/pseuds/VaultOfMelkurMistress
Summary: The Master abducts Jo, ready to actually kill her, or so he says, but the Doctor has the audacity to be late. They have tea while they wait and she gives him advice on how to flirt with the Doctor a little better than his preferred method of murdering his friends.Lighthearted, affectionate comedy.
Relationships: Third Doctor/The Master (Delgado)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	Domini Flores

The Master raised his hand to the metal clasp securing his robe, a small adjustment, ensuring perfection, it was after all, almost time for the grand finale. It was an exquisite robe - obtained from a store on the Doctor’s favourite planet - a trail of obvious hints and clues left in his wake as the hypnotised staff took in the chaos left behind and wondered quite what had happened. He smirked at the memory of going as far as to announce his name - Mr Sterigma, a clever puzzle for the Doctor to solve. 

The robe was a deep green, beautifully contrasting the Doctor’s current attire - it was very important to consider such things, not because he thought they would look quite remarkable together, no, not at all - they did that quite naturally. It was important not to clash in colours and fabrics when facing your oldest enemy - that was the reason. A very believable reason...he told himself. 

He entered the room, pushing the large ornate doors open widely as he stepped through to small puffs of smoke. He really had gone all out - anyone who were to come and put a stop to his heinous plan would of course, be likely quite intimidated, or dare he say….impressed. 

He smiled with the greatest sympathy at Jo as she sat, tied securely to a comfortable chair - she merely looked at him with an exasperated expression. 

“My dear Miss Grant, it is with greatest regret that I must sacrifice you now - a live planet wide audience is in attendance, and all are fearing their Master, “ he said with a wave toward the monitors. “This display of my intent will ensure they cower in fear and obey me willingly. It is quite unfortunate that I must kill you now, but delaying matters will only make this more unpleasant. This is a terrible inconvenience, but please prepare to die, my dear Miss Grant.”

The Master pulled a ceremonial dagger from his robe and raised it, not moving as he frowned. The sound of the Doctor’s TARDIS had not filled the room at the moment he had expected. His calculations were  _ never _ wrong. He raised the dagger higher and cast Jo a menacing glare.

“Any last words Miss Grant?”

“Yes Master,” she said. “There’s something you need to know. It’s very important.”

“A simple delay tactic of course,” he said, raising his eyebrow.

“Well I obviously don’t want to  _ die _ Master, but this is important,” she said earnestly.

“Well,” he said, his arms lowering slightly, the position becoming uncomfortable. “What is it Miss Grant?”

“The Doctor was having trouble with the...oh...what did he say it was? Oh yes! The de-materialisation circuit,  _ again _ . He said to hold tight if he was late. SO if you were..waiting for him perhaps, it might be a while.”

The Master dropped his arms in annoyance and placed the dagger on the small table, pulling a chair over before sitting opposite her. 

“That man has no sense of decorum and his methods lack planning and foresight. Why, you could be dead by now!”

“Cup of tea might be nice,” she said, with a slight smile. 

“Cup...of tea? This is not a tea party Miss Grant! Your life is in imminent peril and he is..late!”

“Well, there’s no point killing me if he’s not watching, so why don’t we have a nice pot of tea while we wait?”

“Well, that is a good suggestion, but I of course, will be killing you once we finish our tea,” he said. 

“Oh of course,” she said, with a mock seriousness. “But every condemned person has a last supper, and mine could be tea. Then the Doctor will get here and you can carry on.”

The Master returned moments later with a tray and in no time at all had placed a teapot, two cups with bone china saucers and two plates piled with a wide selection of biscuits, on the table between them. He untied one of her arms and shifted her chair, ensuring she was optimally positioned to access the elaborate spread. 

He sat and sipped his tea as he watched her dipping a biscuit into her own cup. 

“He won’t be too long, I’m sure he’ll like your robe - this must have all been a lot of effort,” she said, with a knowing smile.

“Why yes it was, I do appreciate that you notice these things, if only he would do the same,” the Master said regretfully. 

“Oh, don’t be like that,” she said, taking a sip and frowning at the inability to pick up both the cup and the saucer with only one free hand. “He notices, it’s just that your plans tend to get him a bit preoccupied - he needs to stop the murder and explosions first. Maybe what you two need is a nice sit down, with a pot of tea, just like this.”

“The Doctor is my sworn enemy Miss Grant and I intend to kill him once I have sacrificed you, and that does mean there will be no time for tea,” he said, noticing her dilemma and reaching over to untie her other arm. 

Jo smiled gratefully as she placed two biscuits onto her saucer. 

“Of  _ course _ you are going to kill me and then him, but maybe before that, you could have a bit of...well...alone time. That’s what the two of you need,” she said, with a very knowing smile, 

“ _Alone time_?” he said, bemused. “Why, if I had the Doctor alone, I would take the opportunity to restrain him while he watched his favourite planet burn by my hand, and then afterwards, I would kill him.”

“Or,” she said, dunking her second biscuit. “You could just have a nice chat, a pot of tea and maybe, hug it out a bit.”

“Hug... _ hug it out _ ?” he said, stunned. “I do not want to hug the Doctor, he is my lifelong enemy!”

“Mmm, of course,” she said, nodding. “Lifelong enemy, yes, he told me all about your academy days - got the impression you two...hugged it out a lot back then.”

“We...did no such thing,” he said unconvincingly. 

“Oh, kissed it out then,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “But that's what you need. All your plans give you two no ‘you time’. Why don’t you just get him flowers next time?”

“Flowers?” the Master exclaimed, his eyes widening at the suggestion. “You think I should get him flowers?”

“Yes, flowers, a nice date, go somewhere nice, try not to kill anyone, and then you could, well,” she said, pausing and giving him another knowing smile.

_“Kiss it out,_ was the expression you used?” he said.

“Yes,” she said with a warm smile. “See he doesn't always notice the detail until late - I bet the jewels on this dagger have historical reference, meaning, that kind of thing. He will get it, in time, but it takes him a while sometimes.”

“They do! I carved them myself from amethyst and crystal mines on four planets!” he said. “He never notices the effort I put into these things!”

“You don’t give him a chance to,” she said her hand on his arm as she smiled sympathetically. “He's too busy having to stop the world ending to have a moment to notice the detail. Flowers, a quiet walk on a nice bright night - no imminent death to stop and he will have time to notice the effort you put in, I bet he’d even know where the flowers came from.”

“You may be right Miss Grant,” he said, before freezing at the sound of a TARDIS. 

Jo sighed, somewhat annoyed that the Doctor had the very worst timing when she was making such good progress with changing everything for the better, and saving earth 50 times over by showing the Master a much better way to get the Doctor's attention.

“Master,” the Doctor said, standing with his hands on his hips, his cloak fanning out over his elbows.

The Master turned and raised an eyebrow with a slight smile of appreciation before remembering he had a captivated planet watching the entire scene unfold. 

“Doctor, I am toying with Miss Grant - she is merely my prey as I await you, to watch her demise!”

“Doctor,” Jo said, leaning to the side, so that she had a clear view of the Doctor. “Could you give us a few minutes.”

“Could I.. _.give you a few minutes?! _ He has probably poisoned the tea!”

“It’s fine Doctor, we’re just having a bit of a chat. Ten minutes?” she asked brightly. 

“You’re having..tea with the Master? Well...I….Jo, he is a dangerous man!” the Doctor exclaimed. 

Jo glanced at the Master and smiled, it was hard not to when he broke into such a proud grin at the Doctor's compliment. 

“I’m fine, just ten minutes and I promise you, I've saved the world...a few times,” she said.

“Well...I...fine. Ten minutes - but if you harm her Master…” he said, utterly confused. 

“Oh Miss Grant will be quite safe, I give you my word.”

“Oh, you've given me your word plenty of times before,” he grumbled. 

“Go on, off you go, ten minutes Doctor,” she said, rolling her eyes. 

He turned and went back into his TARDIS, shaking his head in astonishment. They waited for him to de-materialise before Jo leaned forward conspiratorially. 

“Right, off you go, gather the rarest flowers you can find and be back here a minute after you left,” she said. 

“And then of course, I shall kill you,” he said, with an amused smile that was highly infectious.

“Oh of course,” she said, with a wink. “I’ll just wait here, in terror, and finish my tea while I wait for you to come back and kill me.”

“It would be a pity for it to get cold,” he said. “I shall return shortly.”

“Go on, before he comes back and spoils your surprise again.”

Jo had just finished her tea as the Master’s TARDIS returned a mere two minutes after he had left, he quickly walked out, his robe changed to a very smart suit, the jacket laced with emerald threads and a large bouquet of flowers of a type Jo had never seen before. 

“They’re perfect Master!” she said, with a bright smile. “He’s going to love them.”

The sound of the Doctor’s TARDIS filled the room once again as the Master quickly thrust the flowers behind his back and cast an urgent glance toward Jo.

“Dagger?” he whispered.

“No. That will spoil it, remember? _Flowers_ , a nice walk on a moonlight planet somewhere.”

The Master nodded and focused on the TARDIS doors as the Doctor strode out, the picture of determination laced with confusion. 

“If you two are quite finished…” the Doctor began and then stopped, his words falling away as the Master stepped forward and produced the flowers with a smile.

“Flowers? Flowers that emit a lethal poison no doubt?” he asked. 

“No my dear Doctor,” the Master said with an amused laugh. “Flowers that have been gathered from many remote sectors of the cosmos, perhaps we could…” he glanced at Jo who nodded enthusiastically. “Discuss their origin, while we take a walk...together.”

“Non lethal flowers, and you want to discuss them...ah...you mean...are you suggesting we ….. _have a date_ Master?!”

“I do believe I am, my dear Doctor,” the Master said, stepping forward and offering his arm. “Shall we?”

“Well...I..I can’t simply...why is there a dagger on the table?”

“You two go, I'll tidy up, you need some time together. Go on, off you go, not another minute - no excuses,” Jo said with a grin.

The Doctor was stunned as the Master slipped his arm into his and began walking toward his own TARDIS. 

“Not so fast old chap,” the Doctor said. “You could have all manner of traps in there.”

“No need Doctor,” the Master said with an undercurrent of laughter to his words. “Why trap you when I have you right here? But if you would prefer, we can take your antiquated machine instead. ”

“ _ Antiquated _ ?” he said, about to protest when he noticed Jo’s almost chastising glare. “Well, I suppose...Jo what about the UNIT meeting this afternoon?” 

“It’s a TARDIS, you can be back in time, now you two go have fun, I won't listen to another word out of either of you.”

She smiled as they disappeared into the Doctor’s TARDIS, the doors closing to the sound of the Master being utterly appalled at the sheer mess the Doctor had left behind when performing a basic repair. 

Jo reached down, removing the remaining ropes from her legs and leaning over to switch off the monitors where the riveted crowd had watched the entire situation play out, before picking up another biscuit. 

She decided to ask the Brigadier for a pay rise. 


End file.
